HAMPTON, Georgia – Denny Hamlin won his second straight Sprint Cup race Sunday, holding off Jeff Gordon in a green-white-checkered finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. appeared to be positioned for his first win since 2007 until Jamie McMurray smashed the wall on the front straightaway, bringing out a caution with three laps to go. The leaders went to pit road, and Hamlin's crew got him back on the track first, just ahead of Truex. While Truex struggled to get up to speed on the restart, Hamlin pulled away with Gordon right on his bumper. The four-time Cup champion desperately needed a win to improve his chances of getting into the Chase, but couldn't get by Hamlin on the final lap. Hamlin took his series-leading fourth victory, putting him in position to top the standings when the 12-driver Chase starts after next weekend's race at Richmond. Brad Keselowski finished third, and Truex faded to fourth. Along with Hamlin, eight other drivers have locked up their spot in the Chase based on points: Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Truex, Keselowski, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. Defending Cup champion Tony Stewart, who has three wins this season, is assured of at least a wild card.It was another tough night for last year's Cup runner-up, Carl Edwards, who came in desperately needing a win to lock up a spot in the Chase. The No. 99 car started smoking on lap 264, apparently from a blown piston. He was done for the night, a devastating blow to his chances. — AP
